Combination sleeve and ball joint



Sept. 5, 1950 M. T. FORKER, JR

COMBINATION SLEEVE AND BALL JOINT Filed Jan. 31, 1948 I N VEN TOR.

\/ Z ATTORNEYS.

iatenteri Sept. 1956 COMBINATION SLEEVE AND BALL JOINE Major Torbett Forker, Jr., New York, N. Y.,'as-

signor to Franklin Railway Supply Company, a corporation of Delaware Application January a1, 1948, Serial No; 5,585

This invention relates to flexible pipe joints adapted for use in situations where the connected pipes are subject to relative motion in different senses, for instance to swiveling motion and also to rocking motion.

In an ordinary ball 'or spherical joint, the spherical surfaces are relied upon not only for rocking motion but also for'swiveling motion, and in consequence the spherical surfaces are subjected to all of the Wear incident to both types of motions. Such joints, therefore, wear out-ofround rather quickly, and this gives rise to necessity for frequent repairs, repacking, etc., and is also disadvantageous because refinishing or replacement of spherically curved surfaces is a relatively expensive matter.

According to the present invention, a joint is provided incorporating 'both cylindrical and spherical bearing surfaces, the parts of the joint being arranged so that swiveling motion is accommodated by the cylindrical surfaces, and rocking motions are accommodated by the'spherical surfaces. In this way, wear on the spherical surfaces is greatly reduced.

The foregoing is accomplished by the invention by employment of a joint of exceedingly simple construction, the number of parts in the joint being few and also being readily fabricated.

The manner in whichthe foregoing objects and advantages are attained will appear more fully from the following description referring: to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a flexible pipe joint constructed according to the present invention; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged axial sectional view through the joint, this view being taken substantially as indicated by the section line 2-2 on Figure 1, but showing one of the connected pipes swiveled to a, different angular position from that appearing in Figure 1.

The joint includes an internal joint member generally indicated by the numeral 3, this member comprising a sleeve-like portion t and an elbow 5 with which one of the pipes to be connected is adapted to be secured, as indicated at 6. The joint also includes an external member generally indicated at 1 having a socket portion 8 surrounding the sleeve 4 of the internal member and also having an elbow 9 for cooperation with the other one of the pipes to be connected, as indicated at H]. The socket portion of the external joint member is, in reality, formed of two parts, i. e., part 8 just mentioned and a separable ring H. The part 8 and the ring II are comple- 5 Claims. (01. 285--94) 2 mentarily shouldered as indicated at l2 to provide proper interpositioning of these parts and to present a continuous internal spherical joint surface as shown. The separable ring ll is secured to the body'of the external joint member by means of four studs I3.

A pair of bearing rings I4 and I5 are interposed between the internal and external joint members, each of these bearing rings having an internal cylindrical surface adapted to cooperate with the sleeve 5 and an external spherical surface adapted to cooperate with the spherical surfacing of the socket 8-l l of the external joint member. Ring I4 is of split construction, for instance of two-part construction, a break in this ring being indicated at Ma and the parts of this ring are received between a pair of spaced annular abutments I6 and I1. The parts of ring M are also recessed or shouldered as indicated at 18 to accommodate the abutment l1.

Ring I5 is axially movable on the sleeve 4 and a packing ring I9 is interposed between rings l4 and I5, and a portion of the packing ring also lying adjacent the undersurface of the annular abutment l1.

It is contemplated according to the invention that the packing ring l9 be formed of somewhat resilient material or be of somewhat resilient construction, so that upon tightening the studs I3 thepacking ring is placed under compression between the bearing rings l4 and l5.' This results in snug engagement of the packing ring with the sleeved and the spherical surface of the socket of the external joint member. Such a packing ring may be madein various ways and of a variety of materials, for instance of graphited woven asbestos fibre, 01 a molded composition.

' With the arrangement described, the packing ring itself serves as'a'means for maintaining the spherical surfaces of the bearing rings in engagement with the spherical surfacing of the socket. It is also pointed out that in the arrangement described the axial positioning of the ring M by the annular abutments l6 and I! results also in axial positioning of the entire external joint member with relation to the internal joint member.

In the preferred arrangement of the joint the annular abutment I6 is of sufficiently large external diameter to project somewhat beyond the external spherical surface of the ring M, whereby this abutment not only serves to position the ring l4 but also acts as a stop for limiting rocking movement of the joint members.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the oint. e

joint of the present invention is of exceedingly simple construction. The joint, moreover, is capable of ready assembly and may easily be taken apart for repacking or repair. In assembling the joint the separable ring II is first slid over the free end of the sleeve 4. The rings l4, l5 and I9 are then assembled on the sleeve, after which the socket part 8,, of the external joint member is brought into position and the ting fastened in place by means of the studs l3.

Since the cylindrical surfaces of the joint are of smaller diameter than the spherical surfaces swiveling type motions of the connectedpipes' tend to take place on the cylindrical SllIfaCfiSfQf, the sleeve 4 and the bearing-rings M and. I5, and. in this way the spherical surfaces between the" external joint member and the. bearing rings. [4, and I5 are relieved of Wear incidentto'swivlin'g motions. At the same time, however, the joint. also provides freedom fpr rocking type of moticn h h f. 09 159 ak r accat t e. ceramic: mei a y spherical u ac n cf ne xte inakioint memhera dof. bear n in s I la A. x e. pipe. .J'Qinti c mnr sins, inte nal member of generally cylindricalexternal shape,

xterna m e cfi ener snh icalinte n lsh m e ri g. rin s betwe n. sa diriiemr er ns t rna ylindrical. surfaces mat n wit complem n ry. urfaces. Q the. internal er an xicrna phe l. urfaces n ementa y ur aces on. the .ex-

he. n e nal. msmberhaw. e tern l y p o ecting. abu m nts. dap ed. -n ageone of .thebearin rings oa ia l p io sai i ...and. h reby lso axi= ally position the exter al joijnt member. With; 116? spectto the internal jointjmember.

' 2... A. flexi l pipe joint. comprisine..ar1;interna1 m m f rally cylindrical external-shap ny xt r a mem er f senerallysphericallinternal. shape. a. pair. of. axially 1 paced bearing rin s. e w n. said. members. havin in ern l crlindrical surfaces. mating with. complemenr tary surfaces on the internal joint memhenland xternal sp ic l. urfaces; mating. with. omnl men ary surfaces. on the exliel... ..1;.join.t 'memi-. er,. w pa in rin betw en said; bearin rin s. ad pted to. neasethe ntc nal. nd. xternal Joint. members. heintemaljoint ns x all spa ed. xt rnal ynrciec ing abut: me its; da ted: to. en a e... one. r. he. bearin i gs o xial y pps ticnsaid ring, and-the othe in e n x al y. rablew. in rnal m mb r, and..-

associated. with he: externa iointn em e iordrawinc the; bra-12:. ins rin to d. ach .other; ains he pac ilis; insth rebe rvcen a therehrt .hten; the en emen he packin z ingwithsthei nter: 1. n xte na join m mb rs...

'15. 're necteto, the 1 3."A flexible pipe joint comprising an internal member of generally cylindrical external shape, an external member of generally spherical internal shape a pair of axially spaced. bearing rings between said members having internal cylindrical surfaces mating with complementary surfaces on the internal joint member and external sphericalsurfaces mating withcomplementary surfaces on 'tlieexterrial joint member, a packing ring between said bearing rings adapted to engage the internal and external J'Qint. merr lszers,v tl einternal joint member having axially spaced externally projecting abutments adapted engage one of the bearing rings to xiallys position. said ring, and the other ring being. axially. movable with respect to the internal, member. to provide for tightening of the packing ring therebetween, the external joint member being of multipart construction, being split in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the axis of theinternal joint member between the. nin qr-" id m j ih ol'p f tightening of the. pac grin jbetwie n'tne' be ing ringsfwhen thefp 'of"the external. joint member are brought together upon. assemblyf 4. A construction according to claim in which. one of the abutmentsj onthe internal-joint member comprises an? annular." "member lying.

adjacent the, packing ring and in which the bea ing ring engaged 'bet'weensaid. abutments ternally shoiulder'edftov an. axial extent accome.

' modat'ingsaid arinularlab'utment, toflprovid'elffor engagem'e'ntlfof; said, shou'ldefied... ring: with." the fla gng A "construction. according. to. claim. 3.. in which one Of mean. t nugg thejinteiinal joint member. compr" an''arinularv member projecting "radially'fbeyo .the) spherical. surrace. of the adjacent'bear ng; ring and serving toilimit' angular moiemntof the joint members on they complementary. spherical surfaces of. the external joint,memberjafid.thebearing rings...

' MAJOR TO-RBEIT. EORKER, JR...

B rEncNcEscIrEn.

The following references; are; of record in the file; off this patent:

UNITEDSTATES-PAIENTS1' 

